AFT Cabins... Has anyone ever NOT liked their Aft?

[Calico Jack Sparrow]

 

Leaving the island of Antiqua on Jewel of the Seas taken 6/11/13.

There is no other view such as this!:D

Edited June 19, 2013 by Calico Jack Sparrow

[sr4mjc]

We recently had 1602 on the Brilliance and the Serenade, loved it! No issues with noise from above except for the last morning. We have 8168 on the Radiance coming up for Alaska. Love the afts on the Radiance Class but I'm not sure I'd book one on a ship with a superstructure issue.

[dln929]

DH took pics of the superstructure where he attached the ropes to show how he did it - I can post them or email them to you if you want to try your own hammock.:D It was really very easy to do. He found a light weight hammock online somewhere - I think it weighed 2.5-3 lb with the ropes.

 

 

 

I don't think there's much difference. We were also on starboard side. We talked to the couple with the port side corner aft on our cruise and concluded that the only real difference was where the sun hit our balconies at different times of the day. Also theirs was a triple so there were 3 loungers and 3 chairs. The deck 7 corner afts are mostly covered, which was great for me since I'm not much of a sun worshipper. The fact that it's mostly covered minimizes any soot that might be drifting aft and also makes the balcony useable if it's raining. (It did happen that the Rock of Gibralter was on the port side when we cruised the Straits.:( Not a big deal...we just went to visit our portside neighbors!:o)

 

 

 

 

Yes - I think that's the only downside for me. I love the sound of the ship horn and it's not nearly as impressive (not LOUD) on an aft balcony.

 

I actually like the long walk to the aft. It's a good way to get a little extra exercise!;)

Judy

 

 

I am enthralled with the idea of a hammock on our Navigator aft! We're in 7388 for two weeks this fall and my husband would think I was the greatest wife in the world if I set up a hammock for him. I would love to have a tutorial on how to do it. Please show the pics!

[HB Cruiser]

We had an aft wrap, but it was on the Carnival Dream. Overall, we absolutely loved it! We had our entire group of 16 out there for sailaway and had room to spare! That room was a little oddly configured, but we loved that you could sit up in bed and see the ocean since it faced the windows/door. We did have a few issues towards the end of the cruise tho. Whenever we would back into port (which we did twice) there was a TON of vibration. I don't mind feeling the ship move, but the vibration caused everything in the room to shake, including the pictures above us and they made a ton of noise (of course this was 5-6am....and I'm not a morning person :p) And then the soot came. Thankfully it was only the last couple days, but we went out there at night and didn't see the soot and I sat down on our chairs..needless to say my white skirt didn't look so white anymore! It made a mess, but again it was only the last couple days.

 

Obviously all of this is ship specific and we would absolutely book an aft again. On the Dream class it's not nearly as bad of the a walk as it would probably be on the Freedom, but as long as you're able bodied, you should be fine. Have fun, we can't wait to try one on RC!!!

 

We were on Breeze about three weeks ago in an aft wrap. We have had corner afts on RCCL on deck 7 and deck 8. I would not trade the RCCL corner afts for an aft wrap on Carnival again. Yes, the view is stunning and unobstructed BUT the overall size/depth of the Corner afts on RCCL, for us are much more enjoyable. The corner afts on RCCL are more private also.

 

Tim

[foxgoodrich]

I am enthralled with the idea of a hammock on our Navigator aft! We're in 7388 for two weeks this fall and my husband would think I was the greatest wife in the world if I set up a hammock for him. I would love to have a tutorial on how to do it. Please show the pics!

 

Will do - I just have to get DH to figure out the tutorial and I'll locate the other pics. Check back here tonight - should be able to get it together and post by then.:)

 

HEY - 7388 on Nav is the exact same corner aft we had! Our cabin steward was the best one we've had in 16 RC cruises - you'll love him!!

Judy

[Piepkorn]

However, on the Radiance Class ships we love our afts! We prefer Deck 9 and 9256 is the main choice for everyone who knows the balconies on those ships. It is really hard to get! I am wait listed for it on our 2015 cruise, but not holding my breath.

 

We had 9256 on our Caribbean trip in 2010, and really didn't like the balcony. I suppose it was because there were only 2 sea days. On Mariner, have had most of the aft balconies - except 7388/7688 cuz we can't ever get them unless we want to go to Asia.

[dln929]

Will do - I just have to get DH to figure out the tutorial and I'll locate the other pics. Check back here tonight - should be able to get it together and post by then.:)

 

HEY - 7388 on Nav is the exact same corner aft we had! Our cabin steward was the best one we've had in 16 RC cruises - you'll love him!!

Judy

 

Well, I think we should carry on the hammock tradition, don't you? :D Our kids are coming along for the first week and they're at the other corner, in 7688. Looking for a good time to be had for all! We had a Deck 7 corner aft on the Indy and I thought it was just super so I'm still pinching myself that we snagged one for our B2B on the Navigator. Life's good. What can I say!

[Sunny AZ Girl]

We had 9256 on our Caribbean trip in 2010, and really didn't like the balcony. I suppose it was because there were only 2 sea days. On Mariner, have had most of the aft balconies - except 7388/7688 cuz we can't ever get them unless we want to go to Asia.

 

Hi Dave! Could you send me an e-mail?

 

Now back to the regularly scheduled aft balcony discussion!:D

[kruzerci]

Interesting! We have stayed in one of the corner aft RFS on Enchantment and loved that room and balcony! I tend to get very seasick and found less movement back there than in the front of the ship. Mostly we had a vibration which we kind of liked!

 

Funny how it effects people differently.

 

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved the cabin and balcony, but I would just rather sacrifice the extra balcony room and be midship with the same cabin :).

[Polarbear Pa]

Always try and get the aft if available love the extra room and view.

[Cruisecrazy~]

Polar Bear pa.... Can I ask a personal question... why book so many cruises at once? Do you do it for the cabin selection? I am always intrigued when I see people with so many cruises booked at one time.

[blonde375]

Does anyone have any pics of the JS 8588 (or similar) on the Grandeur?

 

I'm curious about the amount of overhang from the deck above and also about the view down.....will there be ship structure in the way or will it be more ocean?

 

Sorry for the questions!!!.....first Aft cabin and also first JS!! Excited and worried at same time! I only have hump cabins on Radiance and Serenade (which I absolutely loved) and a mid-forward ship deck 7 cabin on Navigator to compare to.

[foxgoodrich]

HANGING A HAMMOCK

It is important to choose a hammock that is comfortable. After some not too intensive research, the fishnet mesh hammocks were lighter but reviews indicated they were not very comfortable. They also leave uncomfortable and unsightly grid marks on the skin. (Oh dear! At our age, we surely don't need that!)

 

The hammock we decided upon was the Texsport LaPaz Hammock from Amazon for around $18. A thick comfortable woven cotton cloth hammock. It weighs 3 pounds, Has a 300 pound weight limit and comes in its own carry bag so it was easy to pack.

 

The next decision was how to hang it. Again more research. There are all sorts of hanging kits available. Most were for trees and posts, etc. After reading posts from other hammock hangers, I decided that some rope would work just as well as anything. I thought that 1/4 " rope would work but also looked at 3/8" thinking it would be stronger. (Can't afford to have a rope break and have Mama hit her bottom on the deck!)

 

Academy Sports had a hammock hanging set that met all of my requirements and was actually cheaper than buying the amount of rope I thought I required. The set is the Amazonas MicroRope Ultralight Hammock Rope Set. I bought it at the store. It is online too. Price is $14.99. It is two 10' pieces of cord (300 lb test rating) with loops tied at one end and a length adjuster at the other end. The adjuster was an aluminum bar that I slipped through the eye of the hammock rope. It worked great.

 

Once onboard, I checked out our balcony. I looked for two places as far apart from each other as possible where I could anchor the ropes and not interfere with the use of the balcony door. There were 2 places in the superstructure that were perfect. Once this was figured out, I put the loop end of the rope through the opening in the ship's structure, put the adjuster bar through the loop of the rope to secure it to the ship. Did the same at both ends. I used the adjuster bars to get the hammock where I thought it was comfortable.

 

When I was I done for the day, I could remove the hammock from the adjuster bars, slide the ropes back through the loops and put it away for the day. Once the initial adjustment were made for the length, getting it set up for the next use was easy.

 

The attached pictures should help. If you need more advice, just email me at goodrich@telepath.com and I'll try to help. Hope you enjoy your hammock as much as we enjoyed ours!!

Bon Voyage!

Buz

Edited June 20, 2013 by foxgoodrich

[KreiderCarter]

We had an aft cabin on one cruise, the extra space on the balcony was nice but we much prefer a mid ship hump balcony, better views of the ports IMO. We also had black soot(?) or something that settled on the chairs, it wasn't overwhelming but it was apparent.

 

Everyone has their preferences though, we just found that since it is only the 2 of us we just didn't need that much more space...we can fit comfortably on a hump cabin just fine.

[DonnaK]

Had an aft on the Navigator back in 2004. Really did not care for it. I know, I'm in the minority, but I absolutely hated the superstructure that surrounds the aft balconies. The extra space didn't make up for it for me. I felt so disconnected from the ocean when I was out on the balcony. I much prefer the smaller, side balconies.

 

If you've never had one, though, I say you need to try it. So very many people prefer it, that I'm sure that I'm the anomaly.

 

We felt the same way about our aft balcony on Mariner (1388 and 1390). The beams and superstructure killed the view for us, and we felt like we were overlooking a construction zone. It was also oppressively hot back there because there is no cross breeze to temper the heat.

 

We were terribly disappointed in our aft cabin, and much prefer a smaller side balcony with a totally clear view of the ocean.

[2tall]

We've been in two aft cabins, one on Brilliance and one on the Carnival Conquest. We liked the extra space on the Brilliance but it felt like it took forever to walk to the cabin. If you forgot something on a port day when you were leaving the ship (and this was a Med cruise so we were up and out early), it was a haul to get back to the cabin to retrieve whatever you needed. The Conquest balcony was an aft wrap and HUGE. It was amazing. However, there wasn't really an overhang and, since it was at the back of the ship, it was right in the line of fire for folks throwing stuff off of the top decks. We found trash, which wasn't too upsetting...but the day we walked outside and found vomit all over the balcony (ours, the ones above us, the ones below) was disconcerting. That took the shine right off of the penny.

 

If you're willing to do the "walk" to the back of the ship, it surely is nice to have all of that extra space and, if there's an overhang, you're sufficiently protected. So we'd probably do an aft again but there's also something to be said for cabins that are more conveniently located mid-ship. But, come to think of it, any cabin I'm in on a cruise ship is, in my estimation, a good one.

[theavonb]

For no reason other than our daughter's interior will be located on the port side, I just switched our room from corner aft 7408 to corner aft 7708. (starboard to port) Now we're all on the port side, and I won't be changing my reservation anymore!

 

We are a month before you in the same cabin, woohoo! I know we will spend a lot of time out there.

[OCruisers]

There is nothing not to like about the wake view from an aft cabin ... but the long walk to & fro gets old. We no longer book them.

 

LuLu

~~~~

[jules815]

We are a month before you in the same cabin, woohoo! I know we will spend a lot of time out there.

 

Woohoo! Yay! I'm so excited. Wish it wasn't so far off though. We've always been curious about trying an aft cabin, and so happy this particular one was available. Not too worried about the extra walking. My husband and I are big walkers and walk the ship several times a day. Good excuse to double up on dessert! :D

 

Have you thought about getting a hammock for the balcony?

[theavonb]

Woohoo! Yay! I'm so excited. Wish it wasn't so far off though. We've always been curious about trying an aft cabin, and so happy this particular one was available. Not too worried about the extra walking. My husband and I are big walkers and walk the ship several times a day. Good excuse to double up on dessert! :D

 

Have you thought about getting a hammock for the balcony?

 

Yes we have, not sure whether we will or not. I think my hubby would have a hard time getting in and out of it. Glad the loungers are there, will be enjoying those and just chllin...I try to imagine what it will be like sitting on the balcony enjoying the view and can't quite get the picture out of my head. Oh the wait will be worth it:)

[wallie5446]

I will be sailing on the Freedom in April. I booked Aft Number 9706. I am going back and forth about it. I am worried about the views being blocked and the fumes from the back of the ship. I normally book Junior Suites.

 

I was wondering if anyone ever NOT liked their aft and why? Also what deck were you on?

 

We are members of the Aft Balcony Snob Society, A.S.S. for short :D

We had an aft Mini-Suite on Freedom in 2011. the size of the room has ruined us forever. BUT```` the view was ruined by the super structure of the ship. Sad, very sad.

[justforkicks]

Does anyone have any pics of the JS 8588 (or similar) on the Grandeur?

 

I'm curious about the amount of overhang from the deck above and also about the view down.....will there be ship structure in the way or will it be more ocean?

 

Sorry for the questions!!!.....first Aft cabin and also first JS!! Excited and worried at same time! I only have hump cabins on Radiance and Serenade (which I absolutely loved) and a mid-forward ship deck 7 cabin on Navigator to compare to.

here are pictures of 7150 http://s1240.photobucket.com/user/MaPlanner/media/Grandeur%20of%20the%20Seas%20Summer%202012/IMG_6124.jpg.html?sort=9&o=0 there is also a thread called show us your aft which might be helpful to you.

[Polarbear Pa]

Polar Bear pa.... Can I ask a personal question... why book so many cruises at once? Do you do it for the cabin selection? I am always intrigued when I see people with so many cruises booked at one time.

 

One of the reasons is to get a aft and the other is our work schedule.

And also gives us something to look forward to.

[blonde375]

here are pictures of 7150 http://s1240.photobucket.com/user/MaPlanner/media/Grandeur%20of%20the%20Seas%20Summer%202012/IMG_6124.jpg.html?sort=9&o=0 there is also a thread called show us your aft which might be helpful to you.

 

Thanks!!

[varoo]

HANGING A HAMMOCK

It is important to choose a hammock that is comfortable. After some not too intensive research, the fishnet mesh hammocks were lighter but reviews indicated they were not very comfortable. .........

The hammock we decided upon was the Texsport LaPaz Hammock from Amazon for around $18. ...........

The next decision was how to hang it. Again more research. There are all sorts of hanging kits available...........

........... the Amazonas MicroRope Ultralight Hammock Rope Set. ...........The adjuster was an aluminum bar that I slipped through the eye of the hammock rope......

........... I looked for two places as far apart from each other as possible where I could anchor the ropes and not interfere with the use of the balcony door. There were 2 places in the superstructure....... put the loop end of the rope through the opening in the ship's structure, put the adjuster bar through ........

Buz, reading your post it looks like you could have a great little hammock franchise business for yourself that would even cover the cost of your cruises, if you can work out an arrangement with the cruise line/s.

 

I know that I would would enjoy having a hammock on the balcony, but I am not willing to bother with buying and packing and schlepping and attaching all that stuff.

 

So I would be happy to pay you a reasonable fee to bring it and set it up for me.

There are probably other cruise passengers who would as well.

 

If you like this idea and decide to go into the cruise hammock business, I hope that you will give me at least one free hammock setup on a cruise for suggesting it. :D